Lightning Crashes

The Scarlet Brotherhood

The Scarlet Brotherhood (also known as the Brothers Of The Scarlet Sign) can trace its lineage all the way back to the vanished Suel Imperium. It is an esoteric order of Suloise who hold the belief of human superiority over other races, and Suel superiority other ethnic groups of humans. Although the hierarchy of the Brotherhood places its highly trained monks at the top, followed by assassins and thieves, it has agents and operatives of all sorts pursing its subtle and dangerous ends. Those who operate openly offer sage counsel and seemingly wise advice; those who are less open about their ties to the Brotherhood are ruthless in their obedience to the orders of their superiors, to further the end of one day seeing the Suel dominate the Flanaess, as is their destiny owing to the innate superiority.

A Suel noble named Kevelli Mauk founded the Scarlet Brotherhood as a “racial purification” group in -424 CY, a few years before the Rain of Colourless Fire; he had a premonition of disaster and used an artifact to teleport himself and his followers away, where they joined up with various other bands of Suel refugees and founded a colony.

The Scarlet Brotherhood is now headed by a cadre of monastics, with final authority resting in the hands of the “Father of Obedience.” The Scarlet Brotherhood is a caste society, valuing the Suloise race and culture above all others. From what you have been able to gather, these Suel supremacists have taken over a number of territories and infiltrated many kingdoms (including Onnwal) for uncertain reasons.

The Monks of The Brotherhood practice a unique martial arts that seems to be based largely upon the two foul Suel deities Beltar and Pyremius. From Beltar, the snake goddess, they have developed a form of combat with abilities resembling the movement and strikes of a snake. Pyremius, the master of fire and murder, has led them to also develop powers based on fire and flame-like maneuvers. They call this combination Selinshan, which in Suloise means “Snake and Flame”.

The actual monks who practice this combined art are few compared to the sum of the Brotherhood’s forces, and they have yet to directly involve themselves in a battle. But rumors indicate that their powers are substantial and this order clearly represents a high level of threat to all other kingdoms. There have also been reports of another, third style used by the Brotherhood, but details on this cannot be verified at this time.

Members of the Scarlet Brotherhood can be of any class, but must be of evil alignment. Most agents of the Scarlet Brotherhood will have been raised in the Tilvanot Peninsula itself and sent out into the world, but some few people of pure Suel blood are recruited from outside. All believe in the inherent superiority of the Suel race and its destiny to rule the world, although they are wise enough to hide that belief from outsiders, who might misinterpret it (or interfere with the Brotherhood’s plan to see that destiny come to pass).

The Scarlet Brotherhood is organized in two broad circles:

The Inner Eye of the Purified Ones is the highest rank of the Brotherhood, every member is a powerful force in his own right, who has contemplated on purity of mind, body and blood, and woven all three together into a weapon for Suel purity. They are the ones who command the members of the Outer Eyes.

The Outer Eyes comprise the rank and file of the Scarlet Brotherhood; within this Circle you find many different orders that each serve their own purpose: